


The Chariot

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Bickering, Domestic Fluff, First Contact, Gen, Minor Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Outer Space, Paul Stamets Is Bad At Feelings, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28648050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: The Chariot: overcoming conflicts and moving forward in a positive direction. One needs to keep going on and through sheer hard work and commitment, he will be victorious.A journey, ambition, confidence, drive, overcoming obstacles, will power.Lack of direction, scattered energy, self-doubt.
Relationships: Hugh Culber & Paul Stamets
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	The Chariot

**Author's Note:**

> The alien in this fic is this thing: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Space_vessel_lifeform Do I know anything about it? No. Did it fit the mould for what I was looking for? Big, limbs, space? Yes. I originally wanted it to be a big space while or squid or something, but the only thing that came up on my 'alien creatures' google search were races like the Klingons or the Trill. 
> 
> This was also inspired by this piece I recently brought on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/621192352/star-trek-discovery-tarot-fanart-the?ref=hp_rv-2 I suggest you guys check out their other works! Their art is really great. It's not exactly how I wanted this fic to go, considering how well the Chariot card fits Paul, but I think I got the idea across, you know?? Could it be better? Yeah. But am I happy with it? Also yeah. Anyways, hope you enjoy x

To many, Paul Stamets was an enigmatic man.

Even Hugh, despite how long they had been together and how well they knew each other, still discovered new things about him, though these moments were few and far between. 

At first glance, he was an open book. Grumpy, clinical, pessimistic, emotionless. But those who had the honour of knowing him better was keenly aware of who he was beneath all of his layers. But even Hugh was yet to penetrate all those layers to the gooey, vulnerable parts beneath.

But sometimes, they were privy to momentary glimpses, intentional or not.

They were seated together in the mess-hall, Paul and Hugh and Keyla and Joann and Adira, just enjoying themselves over a meal during their break. Hugh had just finished listing the many foolish and laughable reasons why crew members had visited the med-bay during his morning shift, and now Paul and Adira were retelling a story about Reno in engineering that the others only partially understood, but they grinned and nodded along regardless.

"You should have seen her face," Adira was laughing. "It was hilarious."

"I'm sure that one of the cameras picked it up for our future enjoyment," Paul assured, patting the back of their hand. Adira beamed. 

_'Attention all personnel,'_ came Saru's voice through the intercoms. _'Please be aware that we have now entered uncharted space and are currently surrounded by unidentifiable lifeforms. Not yet hostile. Be on alert.'_

"What kind of creatures do you think we'll meet?" Adira asked in awe. "What could be undiscovered? I wonder what it could be."

"I'm sure we'll stumble across one at some point," Hugh said. "If the Captain has issued a ship-wide warning, then there must be enough to concern him."

Wide-eyed, Adira looked at the rest of the group with faint judgement. "Why aren't any of you excited? Don't you _want_ to know what's out there? To discover new things? I mean, this ship is called _'Discovery'_ after all."

Hugh placed a hand on Paul's thigh as they exchanged knowing glances with Joann and Keyla. "Encounters like this don't really phase us anymore unless we're in some sort of danger."

There was a long, deep, mournful sound echoing from outside the ship and every occupant of the mess-hall slowly spun to look out the many wide windows, but there was nothing to see but the empty expanse of space.

Without looking away from the windows, Adira addressed the table. "See? What do you think _that_ is? Don't you want to know?"

Laughing, Paul shook his head. "No, not really. I'm content."

"But you're a scientist!" Adira protested. "Surely you have that itch to learn all there is to know? Leave no stone unturned, right?"

"True," Paul conceded. "But while science tells me to explore every avenue, _experience_ tells me that sometimes things are better left unknown. They could very well do more harm than-"

He was interrupted by the entire ship lurching harshly to the side, sending trays of food clattering to the ground and crew members flying across the mess-hall. The wailing sounded louder than before and faint purple light flared outside the window. 

"- Good," Paul sighed heavily as he picked himself up off the ground, wiping water from his uniform.

An alarm rang through the ship as a Yellow Alert was activated in a warning. Some staff darted off to their stations. After a rapid, hushed discussion, Joann and Keyla spun on their heels and rushed towards the bridge.

That purple light was getting brighter. Adira gripped the edge of the table, suddenly no longer as excited. "What _is_ that?"

"That, my dear, is an answer to your youthful curiosity," Paul said as he helped Hugh return their belongings to the table.

Adira looked at him sceptically. "Aren't you curious? You're the one fascinated by the unknown and interested in creatures otherwise overlooked."

"They've got a point," Hugh smiled. "Remember the tardigrade?"

" _Yes_ , I remember the tardigrade," Paul said impatiently as if they had this conversation regularity. "And _yes_ , I admit that I am curious, but I also know possible danger when I see it."

"How do you know it's dangerous?" Adira countered smugly. Hugh ducked his head to hide his smile. "We haven't even seen it yet. How do you know what it is? It could be friendly."

Unimpressed with their smugness, Paul eyed them as he tapped his badge. "Captain, this is Lieutenant Stamets. If I'm to believe that we're entering some unknown, hostile territory, would you like me to prepare for a Black Alert in case we're in need to jump away?"

 _'Not hostile per se, just... curious. Our databanks have no name for these creatures. It's as if anyone who came across these creatures before us never bothered to make any records,'_ Saru responded. _'But yes, a hasty escape may be necessary. Please report to the Spore Drive and prepare for a possible Black Aert, though Mr Book informs me that they mean us no harm.'_

" _They_?" Hugh repeated, brows furrowed "They, as in, multiple?"

"That's usually what 'they' means," Paul teased. "Many. Lots. More than one."

"I know what 'they' means," Hugh rolled his eyes as he tried to suppress a smile. "I just assumed that it was only one. If they were endangered, that would explain why none of the reports has names for them."

The sound rumbled again, louder and seemingly surrounding the whole ship with noise. Other personnel stood tensely around the mess-hall, speaking quietly amongst themselves and staring warily at the wide windows that spanned the length of the mess-hall.

Adira broke their contemplative silence. "We should go," they said to Paul. "In case the Captain calls for a Black Alert."

"Yes. Yes, you're right," Paul pulled away from the window to place a peck on Hugh's lips. "Let's go before-"

The mess-hall was suddenly illuminated by a blinding purple light as one of the unknown creatures floated right up to the window, making those low, mournful noises that seemed to make the windows shake and rattle.

It was enormous in size, and a bright purple in colour, fluctuating and pulsating with the vibrant light so at times it was almost pure white. It was like a jelly-fish with long tendrils that dangled down past the view of the window.

Those in the mess-hall scrambled backwards to the other side of the room with a collective gasp. Hugh gripped Adira by the shoulders and pulled them back as far as they could get until his back hit the wall.

But Paul stood rooted to the spot, frozen by the sight of this beast, bathed in purple-white light.

" _Paul_?" Hugh demanded frantically when he looked back up to see Paul standing alone in the centre of the mess-hall. "What are you _doing_?"

Still, Paul didn't move but cocked his head to the side. "I think it's friendly. Or indifferent."

"That's all well and good," Hugh said. "But how about you back away so we can put up a barrier in case that thing breaks the glass and you get sucked into the cold vacuum of space, huh?"

To everyone's surprise, instead of listening to the sage advice, Paul took a tentative step forward, head cocked in interest and his eyes narrowed in curiosity. Hugh watched in horror as Paul crossed the mess-hall until he was face to face with the glowing purple creature. It made another sound, almost like an excited, happy trill as Paul got closer.

"What on Earth are _you_?" Paul murmured quietly. The creature floated closer, so close that they could see the shifting, pulsating membranes on its tentacles. "What's your _name?_ What do you _do_?"

Everybody watched with bated breath as Paul stood staring at the creature, inches away from each other, on opposite sides of the window. Adira's eyes were wide Hugh felt a little faint.

And then Paul reached a hand up and placed it against the glass.

"You're harmless, aren't you? If you wanted to hurt us, I have a feeling that you would have done it already," Paul said to it. "I think that you just wanted to come and say hello."

The creature shone brighter than the flashing lights of the Yellow Alert, and the deep, haunting sound it made seemed to rattle the windows. Slowly, it raised a dangling tentacle and rested it against the glass, directly opposite Paul's own. They would be touching if not for the barrier of glass between them, the membranes sucking on the window alike to suction cups.

"Brilliant," Paul laughed in amazement. The creature gurgled in response. "Wonderful."

"Lieutenant?" Adira uttered from behind Hugh's right shoulder. "Aren't you at all worried that this thing might be dangerous?"

Paul placed his other hand against the glass, and the creature copied him with another tendril. He took the second hand away and was mimicked once again by the creature lowering the tendril. "Come on, Adira, way to change your tune. What happened to your curiosity and fascination with the unknown? Besides, I'm not dead yet."

" _Yet_ , being the keyword," Hugh said.

 _'This is your Captain speaking,'_ said Saru's voice over the intercom. _'While they are nameless, we have gathered more information on these creatures. They feed off of energy and have the ability to manipulate their forms into structures. They were once enslaved to act as the base of operations for a stranded colony. We'll let you know when we have more.'_

"Nameless, huh?" Paul tilted his head. "Well, I think that I'm just going to call you a Volvariella. After the mushroom. What do you think about that?"

The Volvariella moaned in response.

Despite his best interest, Hugh took a step forward towards Paul, away from Adira and the other stunned crew. "Paul," he said. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"

Grinning, Paul swivelled around. "Hugh," he waved him over. "Come here."

Rightfully so, Hugh did no such thing. "Why would I do _that_?"

"Just come here," Paul laughed, holding his hand out towards Hugh. His laugh was so airy and light and free that against his better judgement, Hugh found himself drawn to him as if by a spell. Paul's hand, calloused and cool, enveloped Hugh's and pulled him closer. "Put your hand up. Like this. See? It's safe. Watch."

Tenderly, Paul moved Hugh's hand and placed it against the window, his warm hand bracketed on either side by a freezing window and Paul's cool yet familiar grasp. For a moment, they just rested there, intimately touching but not so, until Paul pulled his hand away and it was just Hugh up against the glass.

Slowly, the Volvariella lifted another one of its many tentacles and placed it against the window, directly opposite Hugh's hand, nothing separating them but a layer of glass.

Now, two tentacles were reaching up to the window and both Paul and Hugh stood there, side by side, with a hand pressing against the window and glowing tentacles matching their every move. The membranes shifted and undilated as if trying to feel them.

Hugh was shocked silent for a moment, mouth opening and closing. Paul looked between him and the Volvariella, grinning. "See? What did I tell you? Harmless."

"Harmless," Hugh repeated, a small smile stretching across his face.

The doors to the mess-hall were flung open, and the sudden sound made everyone jump, though Hugh and Paul kept their hands against the glass. "Stamets, what the hell is your deal?" Jett demanded as she stormed in, looked frazzled and frustrated. "Did you not hear the Captain telling you to head down to the Spore Drive? Are you somehow foolishly unaware that we're currently surrounded by unknown and possibly dangerous aliens, the likes of which we've never seen, and that you're the only one who can get us away from them in case...?" 

She trailed off when she caught sight of Paul and Hugh against the glass, the Volvariella and the rest of the crew huddled in the corner. She blinked, confused, before she turned to Adira, searching for answers.

"They're having a moment," Adira explained in a hushed whisper-shout. "But I think they're harmless. No need to jump away."

"Right," Jett said slowly, running a heavy hand down her face and backing away. "This is too damn weird for me. I'm an engineer, not a jellyfish-whisperer. You let me know when he's done playing Dr Dolittle and is actually ready to get back to his job." She turned and left as quickly and suddenly as she arrived. 

The Volvariella uttered one final deep, haunting cry that rattled the windows as if in farewell before it pushed away, shifting the ship in the process, and drifted back to where two other Volvariella were waiting, one significantly smaller, and the group slowly floated into the distance.

The Yellow Alert was deactivated, and Discovery resumed its previous path undisturbed.

There was a hushed conversation from the hiding crew as Paul took slow steps away from the window, grinning like a fool. He spun back around, clapping his hands together. "Alright, everybody, shows over! Back to work."

After a beat, the crowd began to disperse. Paul turned to Hugh to see him already staring at him with his head tilted and a proud, gentle smile on his face. "What?" Paul frowned lightly, extending his hand out to Hugh again.

"Nothing," Hugh replied as he took his hand. "You just look good. Glowing, almost."

Blushing slightly, Paul squeezed Hugh's hand and let them both out of the mess-hall. "I'm assuming that you mean that as a compliment?"

"Yeah," Hugh laughed. "I did."

**Author's Note:**

> I should mention that I haven't seen season three yet, so I don't quite know what Booker can do, and I finished writing this before the season finale, so that's why Saru is still Captain. Also, this creature feeds off of energy, so I thought Paul, being ingrained in the Mycelial Network, would be the best one to connect with this thing. I had Paul name it Volvariella but I was originally going to call it a Reefback, but I changed it to a wild mushroom because I think Reefback's are from the game Subnautica?? It's also pronounced Vulve-airy-ella.


End file.
